^0^ 






• .V 



<^<;^y 






.* -V "^ ^^/^'5^^^ ^' % 



•■:^ :^'-M^ 



%""■ 

- "JL 



.0' 



•S*- n O ^<i> 



■^M/k'^ ^<: 



.V<5^^ 









,-J> 



\' 






-^^ 






^¥^' 



^>s 



f :WI&'- %^ :^ 






X" 






,G 



V 




^ '^y^^^^ 



.0 



'<>. 



.0^ ° " " 



<p-^'; -^ 



* A 



'^^ 



i^^ 







V 



■^■..,-i-' 







>^,%,^/ 



A > 






<'. 






e> « 



.^ 






^ 



^oV' 







4 o^ 









--> 



o 



"'^, 



■^ ( 












v|;^%^^ 



•' ^0' 









■ 













V. 



^<r^ 



H Season^s Sowing. 





_ A Season's Sooaxng - _ 

Ubon tbecoVd irear eavth men cast their seed, H 

CUhen lojitsjjrings to lifc-a glorious breed! 

Gbus bapc I soma these t}?ou9bt^ PoriMe boirrsl 

Hf fjart be uieeJs ma>g some not grouj toPlocuer5?f 









XQxxttm Bv 
CbMRLES KEELER 

anel 
Decorated B^ 

LOUISE KEELER 



Published B^ 

AmROBZRZSon, 

Saw Francesco. 

5PDCCCXCIX 



M!-:CEIVED, 



/';)4 LjBrary of Gosgpo8»j 

Of flea cf the 

Register of Copyplghfa, 



Copyright, 1899, 

by 
H. )VI. Robertson. 



4988< 



8eCCi..D CO?/, 








edication 

Cogcther haw we toiled for 

beauty's sake, 
Hud all our labor has not been 

in vain, 
Since in our hearts this token 

did awake: 
Love's blessing falls on those 

who share life's pain. 








Relativity 


9 


Childhood^s Mystery - 


J9 


^m 


um 


A Gladsome Spirit - 


n 


Solitude - - - 


20 


miwMM 


Wayside Gleanings 


n 


To a Caged Canary - 


20 


mfMUi 


The Sky Weavers - 


n 


Pity - - - - 


20 ^M 


wm 


The World Secret - - 


12 


The Crucible of Grief - 


21 


mVM 


H 


Love - - - - 


12 


Contentment 


21 


WmuM^^ 


Stars of the Soul - 


J2 


The Eternal - - - 


2t 


lililjjM^^^ 


Limitations - 


J3 


A Portrait - - - 


22 


li"%^^il 


The Anthem of the Sea 


n 


Spring Flowers 


22 


I^^^^Sj 


The Joy of Nature - 


J3 


In the Springtime - 


22 


^^ffl 


Transmutations - 


J4 


The Chant of Love 


23 


The Master Man 


J4 


Harpocrates 


23 


i^^HDIII 


The Songf and the Echo 


14 


The Thrush's Song - 


23 


fS^^m'/M 


Heredity 


\5 


The Dying Year 


24 


IPj^^^p 


The Will to Do - - 


15 


Infinite Yearnings - 


24 


^^w^ 


Conscience - 


15 


A Story 


24 


^fei 


The Atoms 


\6 


Fame 


25 


Supremacy - 


\6 


Imperfection 


25 


HH 


The Making of Man - 


16 


The Robe of Life - 


25 


Light and Love - 


17 


Illusions ... 


26 


imilvvi 


The Sphinx Life - 


J7 


To a Moth 


26 


//J|M nw il 


To the Nineteenth Cen- 




The Crab Type 


26 


\lKvlW 


tury - - - . 


17 


The Greed for Gold - 


27 


( ^ Hlllu 


The PeopIe^s Triumph 


18 


A Passing Train 


27 


Kl ^^Ml 


Progress - - - - 


18 


The World Out of Tunc 


27 


v\MMw 


Stranded Hopes - 


J8 


Change 


28 


\l M^Jii 


Love Eternal - 


J9 


The Eternal - 


28 


WiM^ll" 


Baby and Mother - 


J9 


Deo Juvante 


28 


f/K 


zm 




t^ 






LIST OF TITLES— Continued. 



Beauty - - - - 29 

The Heart a Reed - 30 

Life Reckoning: - - 30 

Truth - - - - 30 

Experience - - - 31 

Moth and Candle - 3t 

Land Sharks - - - 3J 

Weep for the Living - 32 

Lifers Round - - - 32 

Hope and Despair - 32 

The Songf of Freedom - 33 

The Major Chord - 33 

The Mission of Songf - 33 

Doubt and Faith - 34 

Pain 34 

Service - - - - 34 

Shadow and Light - 35 
Thrice Crowed the Cock 35 

The Soul of Man - - 35 

Conceit - - - - 36 

Hypocrisy - - - 36 

Time's Lottery - - 36 



Limits of Vision - - 37 

Oil and Toil - - 37 

Character - - - - 37 

Seed Sowing - - 38 

Courage - - - - 38 

The Present - - 38 

Man's Talisman - - 39 

Freedom - - - 39 

Mastery - - - - 39 

The Oversoul - - 40 

Hate 40 

Look to the Stars - 40 

The Martyr - - - 4J 

The Hero - - - 4J 

The Prophet - - - 4J 

Aspire - - - - 42 

The City - - - - 42 

Push the Button - 42 

One Point of View - 43 

Patience and Anger - 43 

Comradeship - - - 43 




h^'. 







[iJ^^^^^^^5^^^^^p|^^P^^ 



nthRTimtY 



r|CO<\}(l oj mopninQ,n\|mbl3 o| niqbt, 

Cjhdi'TwiThouTTbe da^rk vo€r»£ d^y, 
COheJ v/itbouT December, rOe»v\j 




m 



rr»T3; 



(2)G7IP 




crr> (BS***L 






Gladsome Spirit 



Che light of peace was in her etnile, 
Rer laughter thrilled like music^s 

power; 
She passed adown life's stony way 
Hnd from each footprint sprang a 

flower. 





ayside Gleanings 



X gather flowers on moss -paved 

woodland ways, 
I roam with poets dead in tranced 

amaze ; 
Soon must my wild-wood sheaf be 

cast away, 
But in my heart the poet's song 

shall stay. 



\ 




be Sky ^Cleavers 



Che cloud-sheep's wool is sheared 

for spinning, 
Hnd the good earth mother has 

spun it in rain; 
Che golden strands of the sun 

she's winning 
Co weave in a fabric of golden 

grain. 






A. 





^^^ 



^v 




Jy( 








be ^orld Secret 



H secret is guarded by each rose cell. 
Seek it and study its meaning well; 
It lies at the heart of the great 

world plan 
Hnd tells of the making of earth 

and man. 




ove 



H sibyl of unnumbered years is she; f^^ 

H sphinx who calmly looks at des- 
tiny; 

forever young, —prophet of all 
things true : 

)Men, monarchies and worlds can she 
subdue. 




tars of the Soul 

I looked into a lens while stars 

rolled by; 
I looked into your eyes so like the 

sky: 
Hnd in your eyes methought I saw 

revealed 
JMore worlds than swam in heav'n's 

unending field. 








imitations 

Re who can ehapc of cosmic mist 
the spheres 

Hnd round a world in all its won- 
der dight, 

Can fashion out of thought the 
dizzy years, 

HyCf even he is slave to truth and 
right. 




s^i 




^be Hntbcm of the Sea 

O breezes blow me some soft 
melody 

Upon the reed pipe by the western 
shore, 

Hnd let thy anthem low steal plead- 
ingly 

In great sea throbs of love forever- 
more. 






be jfoy of feature 

Che pine trees wave their tops and 

shout for joy, 
Che great sea claps its snow white 

hands in glee, 
Hnd from the thunder cloud's dark 

lips roll free 
Olild strains that glorify while 

flames destroy. 











^1.^ 




ransmutations 



6ach quiver of gnat wing goce 

trembling afar 
Xmpalpably winging from star 

unto star; 
Gacb tbougbt once created for good 

or for ill 
Lives on its own part in tbe world 
to fulfill. 




be JMaster jMaii 



Cbe clock's tbe slave of f atber time, 
Cbe sun controls tbe season. 
But man is master in bis prime 
Hnd rules tbem all witb reason. 




jjbe Song and tbe Gcbo 

X dreamed tbat in my band X beld a 
bird 

QClarbling in careless joy its wood- 
land strain; 

X wakened and tbe ecbo still X beard, 

But O metbougbt its murmur 
breatbed of pain. 




'im 




mH ?_-I«^^ 


m 




ercdity 



Blind power that chains mc to the 
wheel of fate, 

Ruge stone that crushes with its 
cruel weight. 

One weapon have X that can curb 
thee still, 

J^y own untrammelled, self con- 
trolled will. 



be aiill to Do 



Xwas might of will that made the 

reptile fly; 
Xwas love that changed it to a bird 

of song; 
O man, faint hearted, if thou wouldst 

but try, 
Chou, too, couldst mount and sing 

on pinions strong. 



.V 





onscience 



In heaven there sits a judge in awful 

state 
<nho in the book of doom writes 

down my fate. 
''O who art thou, stem judge?'' 

erstwhile X cried. 
'Xhy own immortal self,*' the 

voice replied. 







;5~>. 



vm 









be Htoms 

Che atoms— blocks wherewith the 

soul 
Builds temples wrought of flesh 

and flower, 
<Klhence unto God deep strains 

uproll 
Co praise the JMaster's gracious 

power! 




iiprcmacy 



Chere is a power that guides the 

wind, 
Chat holds the raging sea in awe,— 
In heawn 'tis called the JVIaster 

JMind, 
On earth the Universal Law. 




be jVIahing of JVIan ^^w 

^hen thou wert made, O man, the T^. 

great stars sang M\ 

H paean of exultant hopes and fears; \\^ 
Robed in the love of God thou didst 

arise. 
Battling thy way through earth's 

wild sea of tears. 

"^ 




igbt and Love 




Che mighty pillars of eternal day 
Hre light and love that steadfast 

standi sublime, 
propping the heavens glorious in 

array 
Of blue, supreme above the trend of 

time. vi 



be Sphinx Life 

Che sting of the snake in the with 

ered grass, 
Che sweep of a storm from a sfey 

of brass, 
Che kiss of a mother upon her 

dead,— 
Che riddle of life in death is read. 




the ]N[ineteentb Century 

Ye mightiest age of ages, there 

shall be 
H paean as of victory when thou 
Co all thy triumphs addest this 

decree: 
Before the love eternal men shall 

bow. 




17 










be people's rriumpb 

Chcrc 19 a wide-world mcbdy that 

sings 
Che triumph of the people, grown 

to kings,— 
Che triumph of the good, the true, 

the just: . . ..^ 

In this, O man, put all thy life and 

trust 1 



^. 



regress 

Could I but 9peak the great world 

voice X hear, 
Vd hie me from my vale to eome 

far height 
Hnd herald with my trumpet, loud 

and clear, 
progress! but with love's clear 

torch for light! 





0^ 



tranded Ropes 

Lihe shipwrights do we launch on 

ocean's way 
Our thoughts, well freighted for the \}\^ 

voyage afar. If)^^ 

Row few may waft to 6urope or ^ 

Cathay— ^.y 

Cime^s wreckage clings on many a ^ 

moaning bar I 








love 6temal 



Che rainbow mcltctb in its fair 
array, 

Che rath rose f adcth with the pass- 
ing day; 

But long as timers wheel turns shall 
last and grow 

Che love *tween you and me in 
tender glow. 




aby and JMotbcr 

Little one by your mother's side 

I look and I wonder at her and at v^f^^l 

you; _^^ 

Years may roll in a sullen tide ^^|^ 
But still youll trust and shell be ^^^^*^ 

true. 



IbUdbood^s jVIystcry 




Jyl 








olinide 



Cdith thee, O solitude, let me abide 

Some little span, and breathe thy 
joyous air; 

fbr X grow weary here where mor- 
tals chide 

Hnd long to rest where all is pass- 
ing fair. 




o a Caged Canary 

8ing through your prison bars, bird, 

to the sun; 
freedom by singing alone can be 

won: 
I, from my prison of flesh, strive 

in vain 
Chus by a song to be master of 

pain. 




Dear heart have pity for all crea- 
ture's pain. 

Be merciful, be gentle, and forget 

1^0 sorrow save your own: thus 
may you gain 

Some word of love from eyes with 
anguish wet. 







be Crucible of Grief 



Cdhcn in the crucible of grief is 

tbrown 
H human eoul, with fate*9 white 

flame below, 
Che JVIaster watches silent and 

alone 
Co see if gold be freed in midst of 

woe. 




ontentment 

H prophetess held forth the gift of 

fate 
Co one who reached on high to take 

the scroll. 
T)c chose contentment. Bt the sibyl's 

gate 
H stranger passing heard a death 

knell toll. 



Wbc eternal 

Che herb of the field may wither and 

the flower be but dust in a day, 
But the seed that is sown in summer 

shall quicken next JVIay; 
Hnd the heart of the man aweary 

may rest from its pain in peace. 
But the love it has long engendered 

shall live and increase. 









portrait 

Rair of the harvest field, eye of the 

ocean^s hue, 
Choughtful and calm the brow, 

tender the lips, and true ; 
peaceful the poise of head, loving 

the smile of grace, 
Lofty the spirit that shows through 

the gentle face* 




pring flowers 



Cups of blue and stars of gold 
Reach above the Hpril sward; 
6arth in vain may seeh to hold 
Spirits who would greet their Lord. 





n the Springtime 



Che lizard has crawled from the 

darkness to bash in the sun, 
Che snakes, in their raiment of gold, 

glide abroad, one by one; 
Che birds in the branches above are 

with gladness inspired, 
fair earth with the glory of heaven, 

sublimely is fired 



<J' 




5be Cbatit of Love 



In dead night silence still I bear 
Che clash of deeds throughout the 

sphere ; 
But over all, beneath, above, 
Che all - enfolding chant of love. 




arpocrates 

Chink you' Rarpocrates, with finger 

pressed 
forever on sealed lips, shaped not w 

one strain ^ 

Cdithin his brooding soul, to love 

addressed. 
Chat vexed his spirit with its tones 

in vain ? 



be 'Cbrusb^s Song 



Che earth wheels into night, and 

clear 
Che thrushes liquid voice X hear: 
It tells of longing love and peace; 
It bids day care and toil to cease. 




;5-^. 







y.^\ 




be Dying ^c^v 



Che waning year heaves, faltering, 

to its rest, 
But from its dead self springs the 

glad new year. 
O phoenix time, thou risest to attest 
<llhat promise waits the soul when 

death is near. 



^^ 




nfinite \c^vmr\Qs 



Is 't not enough the sun shines half 

the year ? 
Xs *t not enough if some one tried 

and dear 
Looh in your eyes with quick soul 

thrilling fire? 
enough? Chou wouldst but mock 

my vain desire 1 




Story 

You touched the faded flower X 

hold, 
Hnd vanished mid the mist of 

years. 
X sit alone by my hearthstone cold 
0[lhile you are smiling through 

bitter tears. 




me 





Che fame men eeek \q but a petty 

thing, 
H bird soon captured, eooner taking 

wing; 
Hnd he who would be great in 

time's behest 
JMust live on earth but as a passing 

guest. 



■i^ 



Imperfection 



JMan doth not carve of life a flaw- 
less gem, 

]^or God crown death with radiant 
diadem; 

But slowly, year by year and age 
by age. 

Life grows to claim its matchless 
heritage. 



^be Robe of Life 

JVIan art thou? rather God I say 
Cdho in time's loom can weave 

alone n^-^i 

Of spirit threads the cloth of day >^J 
Hnd make life's robe your own. ^"^ "^ 










^B; 




Uusions 



V\i sing you a eong of a tabby 

cat:— 
HU day long by tbc stove ebc sat ; 
Cbc fire was out but it kept ber 

warm, 
Cbus oft are men contented by 

form. 



a jMotb 



^ben tby sleep is over, wben tby 

wings are grown, 
Cbou silent rover in tbe still nigbt, 

lone, 
Cben is tbe world of darkness all 

tbine own, 
Co wind tbee unto deatb, ere nigbt 

bas flown. 




be Crab Tlype 



Cbere are some men wbo, wben ap- 
proacbed by friend, 

Xnstead of band-clasp, crab's strong 
claws extend; 

Cdbo face you, but to walk away in 
fear 

Until in slimy pools tbey disap- 
pear. 




be Greed for Gold 



H man on tbc desert was mining 

for gold, 
Ris tongue was swollen with bitter 

thirst, 
^hen his shaft was filled by a 

streamlet cold 
Hnd he drank with a will while his 

luck he cursed 





passing TTrain 



H monster of metal, a quiver of 
steel, 

H thunder onrushing, a shrieking 
of steam ! 

Che power, the fury of wheel after 
wheel I 

Che madness of science!— a smoke- 
cloud, a dream I 



be Cdorld Out of 'Cune 



H fly at a concert sang buzz in 

B flat, 
<IClhile the orchestra played in H 

minor. 
Said the fly, it is clear, for the 

matter of that, 
Chese men need to train their ears 

finer. 



>>?v 



jv 










bangc 




Beauty to-day, 
Duet to-morrow,-- 
CUill nothing stay 
Save sorrow? 



be eternal 

Cdho 9a3?9 sorrow?— 
Raste then, and borrow 
f'roni heaven's pure hue 
Ch' eternal blue! 






^^^^m. 



^^eo jfuvante 

fight for right! 
Coil! be true! 
God in might 
^Hatches you! 




2S 





^smh, >^«e5^j| 









Ibe Reart a Reed 

Che heart \q but a reed till love and 

hope 
expand it to an organ's might and 

scope* 




life Reckoning 



m 






Count not th>> life in length of trav- //^^ 

ersed years Uijp 

But in the fulness of thy jo}?s and .Vi) 

tears* i^^ 




30 



X would that all mischief were packed |v 

in thy frame 
Little moth as thou wingest to death in 

the flame. 





land Sharks 

fish bite at bait of their own kind. 
Hlas that men 90 base we find! 







cep for the Living 



^eep for the living, not for the dead. 
*Z\q we who hunger while they are fed. 



»fe 





ifc^s Round 




Sunlight and shadow and night with its 

peace— 
Laughter and weeping till death bid us 

cease. 




32 



AK^IM^^ 




• 



be Song of freedom 

H bird at dawn sings as a silver flute; 
Ulc capture it, entranced, when lo, 'tis ^^^^ 
mute ! yMyiVv /a\ 






Iced Sowing 



]^ot for the sake of fathers dead alone 
But for the race to come must seed be 
sown. 



Lv 






f 




ourage 



Courage— the will to do aright that 

trifling thing, 
Cdhich little thanhs and much reproach 

may bring ! 




38 



an^s 'Calisman 

Birds sing for love, for meat are lions 
bold, ,^^ 

Xis man alone who sings and fights 
for gold. 




Cried the steam as it burst from an j^ 

engine in glee, 
**I move the world when X strive to be 
free I ^' 



astcry 






Che ship on the sea or the gull in the air, 
^hich one is the master, vain man ? de- 
clare I 




36 




a and roil 



Laugh )k>u may and work you must iv 
Or the wheels of the brain will be 
clogged with ruet* 




?^ 




Jk 



baracter 



Character seeme like a stocking of 

wool^ 
Knitted so closely, undone by a pull. 



m 






^^^g 

'^^^S^ 



^v 




^^oubt and faitb 



Doubt kills the spirit when pursued 

too long. 
But faith is deadly when its trust is 

wrong. 




ain 




LiS>. 




crvice 




Re cannot quite remove the earthy 

stain, 
^hose life has not been purified by 

pain. 



T>c who would rightly serve his fellow 

men 
JMust with right service to himself 

begin. 





badow and Light 

Sin, the soul's shadow and love the 

Lord's light, 
Hs the man stands unveiled in his )VIas- 

ter's full sight. 



tM. 






bricc Crowed the Cock 

Chrice crowed the cock and thrice was 

Christ denied, 
But truth cannot be hid tho' men deride. 



^\)' 




Ibe Soul of jVIan 




Che soul of man is like Xhi boisterous 

sea, 
CClith deeps as calm as is eternity. 







be Ovcrsoul 

JMan 9CC8 whatever he wishes to find 
for all lies hid in his boundless mind. 



m 



7/^ 



.„- m 



JMy cloah may serve to stay keen win 

ter^s tooth, vuj 

But not the bitter fangs of hate, for- ^ 

sooth. [^ 




40 




41 



^^M^^^ 
^^j^^ 
^.^ 



Hgc of steam and the wizard fire, 
Che spirit calls; ascend I aspire I 



I hear the hum and throb of city streets. 
Is this a living heart or vast machine W| 
that beats? "^ ' 



<k^^ 





ausb the Button 

Slectric forces control the day; 
Beware lest they spirit your heart 
away! 




latiencc and Hngcr 

]^ot every ill of flesh can patience cure, 
But anger only makes the ill more sure. 




lomradesbip 



H joy stole into a heart of stone; 
H man awoke and was not alone. 




1 






PRin^ED AG CHE SHOP 
'^^ OF X>HE ^^ 

scAnuEv tayvcR co. 

5Af? FRADCISCO • CAX.. 



i^wa^^^m^i 




-^ 



^ 



~ o. 






^y-^O^ 






K^ 



•^o. 






v-^^ 






iV 



o V 












-n.^o^ 



^ ^t<. ^Mm>'^ ^^ 



<^^ 



.0 ^'^ -.':'''\'^^:.- ^y o„ '/^^^,*' ^0 ^^ 






V 



V 
















.) 1 









s^^:-o. 






-f 









\^' 






<^, 



.^ 



<^- '- ^^-n.. 















-r' V 

, ,_,^,:,< .^-^ -C:. , , „.. ^<:> \ 









^0 






'^^ ^\' 






^, 



^0 - 



-^v. ^^ 



.vXW'IA^. 















.0" 



^-'-O^ 



4 o 



^^ 



-^o 












.^ 






**■. 









^ '-^ ^F.%vV /^^" 



<", 



.^ 










■°^. 



^r^ 







^^-n^ 






-c^ ^p. 









-f 



^^0^ 









C 



K^ 



Ho^ 






4 o 



A'- 



„j^/h;o^ %_c>^ 






?^" V, 



"^ ^°. 

^.>', o 



















'^t- V . . ^^ \^ 't' V- . . ■'^->. V 



^ %.^ '^t "^Z "^^'^ ^^^' '^^^^^ "^^ • 










ll 







o V 






-^ 






., N 



4^^^ 









'^^>, 






X- 



